So, I have recently returned from Italy. We filmed for 5 weeks and covered Liguria, Toscana, Umbria, Lazio and Emilia-Romagna. Now begins the process of editing it all together and producing our product.

Our distributor will hopefully sell our product at Cannes in April and by May we'll be, again hopefully, passing our program to a channel to be broadcast!

Tomorrow morning I jet off to Turin to start about five weeks of filming for our television series Finding Little Italy.

A couple of years of hard work and dreams have led up to this moment. My diet plan was cut short so we'll see if I have got fit enough to look 'good' on camera. I'm worried. My face is still red, but I'm still me at the end of the day.

There shall be no blogs for the following few weeks as I'll be working very hard and whatever free time I have will be dedicated to reading Ian Banks, writing my Madrid book, resting or drinking wine.

I shall however be making a 'behind the scenes' video of each region that I will edit and put up on my YouTube so please stay tuned and you can see what we're getting up to!

I set off on the 8 o'clock plane from Madrid Barajas. Must finish packing.

1. Am almost finished with my book "Camino" and hopefully will get that out in the next few months.

2. I have started researching for the next book. A personal portrait of Madrid's history, culture etc via its food and bars.

3. ITALY BY VESPA news: We are renaming to the more likely title of "Finding Little Italy" and it looks like we shall be leaving to film five episodes - Liguria, Lombardia, Toscana, Umbria and Calabria - in the middle of February. Very excited and can't wait to stop the boring diet.

Italy By Vespa is almost underway. We have a distributor ready and waiting and an interested executive producer. However, due to time delays, we may push on regardless. Hoping to start maybe at the end of February 2015!

A couple of writing projects. A short story about a man whose mother has passed away while tupperware boxes of her frozen meals lie uneaten in his freezer. I know, odd. And a screenplay adaptation of a 1947 movie called Ghost Ship, but updated and set in space. I know, odd.

Other than that, still living in Madrid. Still working away. Feel free to get in contact!

Much is happening. Much is busy. For the last couple of months I have been helping keep myself alive by working as a gastronomic tour guide with the Madrid Food Tour Company (www.madridfoodtour.com). Check them out and book a tour!

Also, I am planning an article about the Madrid wines; a sorely underrated and unknown region close both to my heart and my house. I will visit bodegas in the three sub-zones: Arganda, San Martin and Navalcarnero and produce my findings.

I am visiting the Lopez de Heredia family in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. They have been producing some of Spain's best Rioja wine - in the town of Haro - since 1892. As well as a glimpse into small town Riojan life I shall journey out to the hills to visit San Millan de la Cogolla, monastery twins that are the birthplace of the Spanish langauge.